- Home
- Lute & Guitar
- Music for the Baroque Guitar
- Bottazzari 1663
Bottazzari, Giovanni
Sonate nuove per la chittarra spagnola . . . (1663)
I. Overview
Bottazzari's only known tablature is noteworthy for its concern with scordature, including one tuning first seen in Corbetta 1648, the three tunings in Granata 1659 and two additional ones: A-c-e-a-c' and A-d-f-a-c'. The pieces are grouped very definitely into suites and the writing is very good; well worth exploring for the five-course guitarist . . .
Title: Sonate nuove per la chittarra spagnola di D. Giovanni Bottazzari ([dedication signed Venice 18 October 1663])
Description:
86 pp. (engraved)
62 pieces
Foliation: none
Page Size -- I-Bc: 28.5 cm. (width) X 18.4 cm.
Plate Size -- I-Bc: 22.3 cm. (width) X 10.2 cm.
II. Prefatory Material
f. [1r] -- SONATE NUOVE PER LA CHITTARRA SPAGNOLA DI D. GIOVANNI BOTTAZZARI MANTOVANO. DEDICATE ALL'ILLUSTRISSIMO SIGNOR GASPARO GHERARDINI DE MARCHESI DI CASTELNOVO, E DI S. POLO.
[f. 1v] -- [blank]
f. 2r -- Ill.mo Sig.re, e P[ad]ron Colendiss.mo [dedication to Gasparo Gherardini; signed:] Di Venetia li 18 Ottobre 1663 . . .
[f. 2v] -- [blank]
f. 3r -- [shield; signed:] "L.co Sciupini fec."
[f. 3v] -- [blank]
f. 4r -- Al Professor di Chittarra . . . [new tunings, the "usual" dances; NOT for beginners]
[f. 4v] -- [blank]
f. 5r -- Tavola dell'opera . . . [index] L.co Sciupini fec.
[f. 5v] -- [blank]
[No alfabeto chart; hypothetical usage:]
| + | A | B | C | C4 | C6 | E | F | G | G2 | G3 | H | H2 | H3 | H4 | H5 | H6 | H7 | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 2 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 2 |
| 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 2 |
| 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| K | K2 | K3 | L | M | M2 | M3 | M5 | M6 | M3* | M4* | M5* | O | P | P3 | P4 | P5 | P7 | &2 | &4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 7 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 4 |
III. Notation
Tablature: Mixed tablature. Ornaments: .T. (tremolo) and # (vibrato).
Range (highest fret used on each course):
| 5th course | 8th fret (9th in chords) |
| 4th course | 9th fret |
| 3rd course | 9th fret |
| 2nd course | 10th fret |
| 1st course | 10th fret |
Instrument: 5-course guitar
IV. Indices
Title information in brackets [ ] is editorial; information in parentheses
Index of Pieces (all solo guitar):
| Page | Title | Key | Meter |
|---|---|---|---|
| p. 6 | Preludio (del 2.do tuono) | g | ¢ |
| p. 7 | Alemanda (Alemana) | g | ¢ |
| p. 9 | Alemana | g | ¢ |
| p. 10 | Corr[ent]e (Corente) | g | 3/[4] |
| p. 11 | (e) Sarab(and)a | g | 3/[4] |
| p. 12 | Toccata (del 6.to tuono) | F | ¢ |
| p. 13 | Giga | F | ¢ |
| p. 15 | Corr(ent)e | F | 3/[4] |
| p. 16 | Preludio | b | ¢ |
| p. 17 | Alemana | b | ¢ |
| p. 19 | Alemana | b | ¢ |
| p. 21 | Corrente | b | 3/[4] |
| p. 22 | Corr(ent)e | b | 3/[4] |
| p. 23 | Sarab[and]a | b | 3/[4] |
| p. 24 | Alemana (del 7.mo tuono) | c | ¢ |
| p. 25 | Corr(ent)e | c | 3/[4] |
| p. 26 | Sarabanda | c | 3/[4] |
| p. 27 | Preludio (in B fa B mi) | Bb | ¢ |
| p. 29 | Alemana | Bb | ¢ |
| p. 31 | Correte | Bb | 3/[4] |
| p. 32 | Sarab[and]a | Bb | 3/[4] |
| p. 33 | Alemana | Bb | ¢ |
| p. 35 | Corrente | Bb | 3/[4] |
| p. 36 | Sarab(and)a | Bb | 3/[4] |
| p. 37 | Alemana | f | ¢ |
| p. 39 | Corrente | f | 3/[4] |
| p. 40 | Sarab(and)a | f | 3/[4] |
| p. 41 | Alemana | Eb | ¢ |
| p. 43 | Corr(ent)e | Eb | 3/[4] |
| p. 44 | Sarabanda | Eb | 3/[4] |
| p. 45 | Toccata (per altra Acordatura) [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | ¢ |
| p. 47 | Alemana [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | ¢ |
| p. 48 | Corrente [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | 3/[4] |
| p. 49 | Alemana [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | ¢ |
| p. 50 | Corrente [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | 3/[4] |
| p. 51 | Passacaglia (-i) [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | 3/[4] |
| p. 53 | Alemana [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | ¢ |
| p. 54 | Giga [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | ¢ |
| p. 55 | Sarab(and)a [A-C#-E-A-C#] | A | 3/[4] |
| p. 57 | Passacaglia (per Acordatura differente) [A-D-F#-A-D] | D | 3/[4] |
| p. 59 | Alemana [A-D-F#-A-D] | D | ¢ |
| p. 60 | Corrente [A-D-F#-A-D] | D | 3/[4] |
| p. 61 | Sarab(and)a [A-D-F#-A-D] | D | 3/[4] |
| p. 62 | Preludio (per altra Acordatura) [A-C-E-A-C] | a | ¢ |
| p. 63 | Passacaglio (-i) [A-C-E-A-C] | a | 3/[4] |
| p. 65 | Alemana [A-C-E-A-C] | a | ¢ |
| p. 67 | Corr(ent)e [A-C-E-A-C] | a | 3/[4] |
| p. 68 | Corrente [A-C-E-A-C] | a | 3/[4] |
| p. 69 | Sarab(and)a [A-C-E-A-C] | a | 3/[4] |
| p. 70 | Toccata (per Acordatura differente) [A-C#-F#-B-E] | e | ¢ |
| p. 71 | Alemana [A-C#-F#-B-E] | e | ¢ |
| p. 73 | Alemana [A-C#-F#-B-E] | b | ¢ |
| p. 75 | Corr(ent)e [A-C#-F#-B-E] | b | 3/[4] |
| p. 76 | Sarab(and)a [A-C#-F#-B-E] | b | 3/[4] |
| p. 77 | Alemana (per altra Acordatura) [A-D-F-A-D] | d | ¢ |
| p. 79 | Corrente [A-D-F-A-D] | d | 3/[4] |
| p. 80 | Corr(ent)e [A-D-F-A-D] | d | 3/[4] |
| p. 81 | Sarabanda [A-D-F-A-D] | d | 3/[4] |
| p. 82 | Alemanda (Alemana per Acordatura differente) [A-D-F-A-C] | F | ¢ |
| p. 84 | Corr(ent)e [A-D-F-A-C] | F | 3/[4] |
| p. 85 | Corr(ent)e [A-D-F-A-C] | F | 3/[4] |
| p. 86 | Sarab(and)a [A-D-F-A-C] | F | 3/[4] |
Index of Genres:
The following chart summarizes the solo guitar contents of the book by genre. Major genres are given by the form used in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2d ed., with the forms actually used in the book in parentheses. Lesser known titles are grouped under "miscellaneous dances" and "songs." Rhythmic variations and rotte are considered part of the main work.
| Genres: | total | major | minor | meter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrente (Corrente, Corente) | 19 | 9 | 10 | 3/[4] |
| Allemande (Alemanda, Alemana) | 18 | 8 | 10 | ¢ |
| Sarabande (Sarabanda) | 13 | 6 | 7 | 3/[4] |
| Prelude (Preludio) | 4 | 1 | 3 | ¢ |
| Passacaglia (Passacagli) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3/[4] |
| Toccata | 3 | 2 | 1 | ¢ |
| Gigue (Giga) | 2 | 2 | 0 | ¢ |
| Totals: | 62 | 30 | 32 | 35 in 3/[4] and 27 in ¢ |
Index of Keys Used:
Keys used in the book; an * indicates that the key is only used in a passacaglia. Note that the pitch is relative and that since the guitarist was using tablature, there was no need to think in terms of traditional key signatures.
| A major | 9 | A minor | 6 | |
| B flat major | 7 | B flat minor | 0 | |
| B major | 0 | B minor | 9 | |
| C major | 0 | C minor | 3 | |
| C sharp major | 0 | C sharp minor | 0 | |
| D major | 4 | D minor | 4 | |
| E flat major | 3 | E flat minor | 0 | |
| E major | 0 | E minor | 2 | |
| F major | 7 | F minor | 3 | |
| F sharp major | 0 | F sharp minor | 0 | |
| G major | 0 | G minor | 5 | |
| A flat major | 0 | A flat minor | 0 |
Index of Names:
BOTTAZZARI, Giovanni (Giovani) [composer]
SONATE NUOVE PER LA CHITTARRA SPAGNOLA DI D. GIOVANNI BOTTAZZARI MANTOVANO. DEDICATE ALL'ILLUSTRISSIMO SIGNOR GASPARO GHERARDINI DE MARCHESI DI CASTELNOVO, E DI S. POLO. / f. 1r
[dedication signed:] Di Venetia li 18 Ottobre 1663 . . . Giovani Bottazzari . . . / f. 2r
GHERARDINI, Gasparo [patron]
SONATE NUOVE PER LA CHITTARRA SPAGNOLA DI D. GIOVANNI BOTTAZZARI MANTOVANO. DEDICATE ALL'ILLUSTRISSIMO SIGNOR GASPARO GHERARDINI DE MARCHESI DI CASTELNOVO, E DI S. POLO. / f. 1r
[dedication to on f. 2r]
SCIUPINI, L[odovi]co [engraver]
L.co Sciupini fec. / f. 3r
L.co Sciupini fec. / f. 5r
V. Bibliography
Boye, Gary R. "Giovanni Battista Granata and the Development of Printed Guitar Music in Seventeenth-Century Italy" (diss., Duke Univeristy, 1995).
________. "Performing Seventeenth-Century Italian Guitar Music: the Question of an Appropriate Stringing" in Performance on Lute, Guitar and Vihuela: Historical Practice and Modern Interpretation, ed. V.A. Coelho (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997).
Eisenhardt, Lex. "Bourdons as Usual." Lute Society Journal (UK) XLVII (2007): 1-37.
Répertoire international des sources musicales: Einzeldrucke vor 1800. RISM A/I [B 3797
Tyler, James, and Paul Sparks. The Guitar and Its Music: From the Renaissance to the Classical Era (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002): 75-76, 89.
VI. Exemplars
I-Bc = Italy: Bologna, Civico Museo Bibliografico Musicale G. B. Martini (visited in 1991-1992)
Condition: Dark plate with some bleeding but very legible; very wide margins around plate; page edges rough but in good condition.
Binding: Grey cardboard with taped binding; tattered edges with some mildew stains.
Manuscript additions:
Cover -- top left, ink: "X 150"; ink: "Bottazzari Giovanni / Sonate per la Chitarra Spagnuola / Venezia 1663"
f. 1r -- bottom, blue stamp: "BIBLIOTECA DEL LICEO MUSICALE DI BOLOGNA"
p. 86 -- bottom right, black stamp: "LICEO MUSICALE G.B. MARTINI "
Corrigenda:
[traces of erasures on plate itself (p. 23, st. 2, 1st note; p. 35, st. 4, m. 6, bt. 2 etc.; but no evident ink corrigenda]
Lute, Guitar, & Vihuela Home
Baroque Guitar Home